Trio
by persian85033
Summary: Story about Moira from Isis Trilogy, Veronica, who discovers new planets, and Fernanda, a girl who lives on Denebon 5. They know each other thru the Internet. Will they ever meet one day. Please read and review.
1. Chapter 1

Suha burst out of hyperspace. Veronica Soledad Ortegoza Diaz tried to gain control. She sighed.

"Whew. We made it, everyone!"she said to her pets.

As she was an intergalactic wonderer, a space explorer, it was her job to explore new planets. Her only companions for weeks, months at a time were her pets, some of them coming from Earth, others from different planets she had visited.

"112 parsecs from Earth in the direction of…the constellation…Stella. I always did wonder who gave it that name. Really! Naming a constellation Stella! Oh, well. Let's see what we have here."

She looked at the monitor. The outside sky was pinpointed with distant stars.

"Nothing close enough, everyone."she said. "However,"she typed something into her computer. "We're on the verge of discovering something new. Maybe. You never know."

She put the controls so that she could classify a few of the closest stars.

"Here's one. No, that one's just too small, too weak to have any planets. Unless it's right next to it, and it just might work out. Just might, you know, but chances are, no."

She typed this information into her computer.

"Not even worth naming, I guess. Here we have an O type. Three from the looks of it. Must be boiling, duh. We'll leave that one for later, but let's see…a double star! Two stars. One a K3 and the other a K6. Not bad. Just a little hotter, I guess, but more or less comfortable. Now, what does everyone think? Name then two different, matching names, as twins? Or both one name meaning perhaps two?"she asked her pets.

Some looked up, others walked up the controls, while some just ignored altogether, or left, still perhaps a little frightened by the sudden burst out of hyperspace.

"No need to make such a scandal."she told them, comfortably, smiling. "D!"she called.

DaCoP 1228 came in. Apart from her pets, he was the only other companion she had. The robot was also useful and specifically designed for the exploration of new planets. Data Collector and Processor 1228, one of the more advanced in the universe, as she reprogrammed him every time she came up with something new, or found a new program every time they touched a Tech planet, or read something off the Internet.

"Yes, Veronica?"asked the robot.

"A double star, and two useless one. Well, one definitely useless, and an O, probably of use if it has planets far enough from it."she said.

"Very good."said DaCoP 1228.

"We'll check out the other stars later, right now, we should probably concentrate on the planets on these now."she said, as she typed on her computer, becoming more and more enthusiastic by the minute.

Moira woke up happy, as usual. She loved living here, on Isis, in the valley. Uncle Jody asked her what she thought they could do about the Shelter Cave. As Moira had traveled around the Galaxy with her father, Mike Flynn, before coming here, to Isis, Moira knew more about technology than everyone else in the valley.

"Well, what we would need, I think, is perhaps to grease it with something. Maybe oil."

"Where can we find something like that?"Uncle Jody asked her.

"Oh, I'm not sure. It doesn't necessary have to be oil, just maybe something similar, something, slippery."she said.

"Like water?"

"Oh, no! Not water, that would only make it worse!"she said, laughing. "It's a metal, but we'll figure out a way we can get oil here on Isis. I know someone who specializes in things like that. My friend can help us. I'll write her an email from my computer right now, explain the problem and ask if she has any idea what we could use."

"What's an email?"asked David, her husband.

"Just a message. I'll go to my computer right now."

"Can I watch?"asked Uncle Jody, eagerly.

"Sure."said Moira, smiling.

On Denebon 5, Fernanda Inez Escobar Gonzaga, awoke and looked outside. A day like any other perhaps. On Denebon 5. She looked towards the northern sky towards the place where Earth probably was.

"I'll never be able to tell."she said, laughing.

She got up, and showered. Her brother was already up, but he hadn't showered yet. He was playing his video games. She said a little passage from one of his favorite funny movies, laughing. After she ate a small, quick breakfast, it was already kind of late, she turned on her computer, and went on the Internet to see if any messages from her friends, Vero or Moira. They were both travelers. Vero loved it. That was her job, she had studied a lot, and spend her life discovering and exploring different planets, probably learning new languages and customs, as she visited planets already colonized, too. Moira traveled because her father had itchy feet. She obviously didn't enjoy it much. All she wanted was to settle down on a planet and stay there, calling it home. Fernanda thought she didn't know how boring it was to live on the same planet. So boring, she thought. She should know, she had lived here, on Denebon 5 all her life.


	2. Chapter 2

Moira turned on her computer, and entered her email account.

"How exactly does this work?"asked Uncle Jody.

"I'm not too sure, Uncle Jody. It's very simple to use, though. You just compose a message, type it, and send it. Then the other person, just receives it. Then they read it."

"How do you do that?"

"Well, you have to read first, Uncle Jody."giggled Moira.

No one on Isis could read, except for Moira, of course.

"So, we'll have to continue reading lessons first, before you start on this."

She typed the message to find out how they could get oil on Isis.

"Here, I have on from Fernanda. I can't wait to tell her I live on Isis. She'll love it, I'm sure."

On Suha, both Veronica and DaCoP 1228 got busy, getting as much information about the unknown stars as they could from the ship.

"Type O, 28 planets. Double star, 14 planets."said DaCoP 1228.

"That sounds good. I suppose for the Type O, the gaseous planets are most advisable?"she said.

"I'm thinking yes."answered DaCoP 1228.

"Helps keep the UV rays away."she commented.

"Of course."

She checked her email, and saw that there was a message from Moira. She opened it.

Hi. Guess what? I'm living on Isis now. It's a simple, agricultural community. It's really nice. I was wondering, see, we need something like oil to put on some doors in a cave where we shelter during solar flares, and I don't know where we could get it from. Could you help?

Moira

"Just look, D. What do you suppose would be good on Isis to use in substitution to oil?"

"We'd have to know the raw materials."DaCoP 1228 answered.

"Yeah. Hmm, wouldn't be a bad idea if we went and spend a bit of time on Isis, would it. It's not crowded from the look of it. Just let me finish right here."

She entered the information about the new stars and their number of planets.

"We'll probably have to go down and have a look at the atmosphere and such. See exactly what kind of environment it is."she said, writing a message to Moira.

Hi, Moira. Sounds nice. I don't think I'll be able to help much, not knowing enough about the raw materials available on Isis. We just discovered a few new stars right here, with quite a few planets. I'll try to do a little bit of research on Isis, okay, and see if I can't find anything helpful. If I don't, then I'll simply go and check it out myself. Sound good?

Veronica

She clicked the send button.

"Well, I also have to do a little bit of research on Isis as well,"said Veronica.

She wrote herself a little note, and put it where she was likely to find it, and not forget about it.

"Now, back to work."


	3. Chapter 3

Fernanda read that Veronica had discovered more unknown stars, and wrote back, asking her to tell her everything about the new planets, and to make sure she send pictures. Veronica, meanwhile, was about to land her ship on the 15the planet of the Type O star.

"At least most of its planets are gaseous, so it has more chances."

She glanced at the atmosphere indicator. The ultraviolet was extremely high, of course, due to the star being a Type O, and the distance between the star and the planet. The oxygen was all right. Perhaps even a little above than the oxygen level back on Earth.

"It seems to be comfortable, except for the ultraviolet, but that can be taken of with a simple force field watch. And of course, you have the heat, but, well, you'll have to learn to adapt yourself to that. I'll go take a look."she told her pets.

"Veronica."

"Yes, D?"

"It looks like the smaller star has three planets. Only the closest seems to fit the criteria to be habitable."

"We'll have to check it out then. After I finish on this one."

She wore her force field watch out of habit, and because she liked to keep track of the time, not that it was necessary in space, but as it was and intergalactic watch, as soon as she landed on a civilized planet, the hands on it would move to tell her the exact time of day on that planet. Her watch seemed to be all she needed. It would protect her form the ultraviolet, and if the air on the planet was not breathable, had low oxygen content, or even too high of any other gas, it would simply take the air she breathed out, and recycled it into breathable air again. She looked around as she stepped off her ship. The sky was of a deep, opaque, and dull blue. And the sun, was small, perhaps no more than a speck, but the light it gave was overwhelming.

Veronica shielded her eyes. All around her, the dirt was of an unusual shade of green. She picked up a rock and put it in her bag to be examined later. Plants that seemed to be grass were bright yellow, and she noticed that their edges were razor-sharp. She inspected the plants, to see if they had flowers, or bore seeds. Only one. A gigantic flower, about the size of the monitor on her personal computer. It was black. Several of these strange plants dotted the landscape all around her, some connected by a runner, others by themselves. They seemed to bear no fruit. She carefully tore off a piece of the leaves and a petal and some pollen from the flower.

She looked around to see if there was any water nearby. She walked a little away from the ship. A river, about three miles wide, the current running at a very high speed.

"You definitely would not want to fall in there,"she laughed.

The ground at its banks was broken, with dry cracks, as though it were breaking apart, because it had not known water in days.

"I guess it would have to go that fast. Or evaporate pretty quickly."

She then tried to find the source of the river, but could not. It actually seemed to get wider, as she moved upriver. Then she decided to return the ship. On the way, she kept her eyes open for any signs of life. Mostly the creatures here were small rodents, or animals of that nature. Nothing large. And they were of a shade of lime green, or a bright yellow with black or green spots or stripes. When one scurried away, it was suddenly seized by a gigantic bird. Before Veronica could get a better look, the bird had already disappeared into the sky. The largest animal she saw, reached up to her waist. From the looks of it, it was probably a predator. However, she had a laser gun to stun anything that might try to hurt her, and her force field would also protect her from stings, bites, or anything else that might get too close to her, making her impervious to just about anything.

"Anything?"asked DaCoP 1228 when she got back.

"Well, it seems that the game is plentiful, for one thing. If you like small mammals. I think they're mammals. I didn't get a good chance to get a good look at them. I brought these back."

She put her bag on the table.

"Very well, I shall get started on researching the elements these are made of, and seeing their natures. Is there anything you would like before I get started? Perhaps a drink? Or something to eat?"

"No, thanks, D. Or perhaps a drink would be good. I'm not that hungry, really, but I would definitely like some iced tea, while I do some research on Isis for Moira. I still have some time before I have to settle down and watch some tv."

Before getting to work, DaCoP 1228 brought Veronica a glass with her favorite flavor of iced tea, fresh brewed, with sugar and honey in it.

"Yum."she said, as she sipped. "Just a sec while I feed everybody here."

She got up to feed her pets. As soon as they were settled, eating their dinner, Veronica turned on her personal computer, and typed in Isis. She didn't know what its sun was called, as she had forgotten to ask Moira, but she could probably find out. The information, it seemed was not just for anyone, and as she was a galactic wonderer, who also served a very important service to the Stellar Travel Consortium, she was allowed access. It seemed Isis had been discovered quite some time ago, and for about 23 Earth years, the Keepers of the Light had lived there, before the planet was settled. Then she found something interesting. The Keeper of the Isis Light, was the youngest Keeper of the Light in the galaxy. It appeared that she was actually the daughter of the original Keepers of the Light. When she had been 16 according to Earth reckoning, Isis had been colonized.

"Wow."said Veronica outloud.

She immediately set to find the Keeper's name. Olwen Pendennis. She then tried to find the Keeper's descending line. She had met several other people descended from the Keepers. The Wallania Light, Denebon 3 Light, and so forth, but never one who had lived alone on a planet, and was the youngest Keeper of the Light. But there seemed to be no existing line.

"That's odd. D!"

"Yes, Veronica."

"How come I can't find the descending line for the Keeper of the Isis Light?"

"Perhaps it is not listed."

"But if they know no one else, they certainly must know the Keeper! They always do!"

"If it was a woman, perhaps you should look under her husband's name. That is, after all, an unusual case, in a way. The girl grew up alone."

"All the more reason why she should have married."

"Perhaps she was unable to bear healthy children. The original Keepers died in a solar flare, due to the radiation, I suppose, if not he dust, wind, or being hit by an obstacle. Perhaps the radiation damaged the Keeper herself as a girl, thereby, making her unable to reproduce."

"But then, they'd know, wouldn't they? They'd say. Something tells me that there's something they don't want us to know about her."

She wrote a message to Moira.

I was just wondering if you knew anything about the Keeper of the Isis Light? I can't seem to find her descending line. Perhaps you know someone who is descended from her, or something. Gotta add that to my collection, you know. As many Keepers, descendents of Keepers I can get my picture taken with.:DI'll look more into the geography of Isis, too. Right now, I'm mostly looking at the history and such. You know, it's all important.

Vero


	4. Chapter 4

Fernanda dreamed about living in a community like Moira's. She looked out toward the stars, and wondered just what was out there. How many planets were colonized out there? How many millions of people? And how many communities like Moira's?

Moira received the message from Vero.

"Unlce Jody! David!"she said. "Vero wants to know if there are any living descendants of the Keeper."

They just looked a bit confused.

"If she had any family. You know, married, had kids?'

"You mean the Lady Olwen?"asked Unlce Jody.

"Yeah, I think Guardian said that was her name. Olwen Pendennis, in Bamboo Valley."

"I don't think the Lady Olwen had children."said Uncle Jody.

"Hmm. Veronica probably won't be happy to hear that. She wanted to meet her. Oh, look, she's on right now!"

"On where?"

"Online."said Moira. "Just watch."

Moira:Olwen didn't have any descendants from the looks of it.

Veronica sighed.

Veronica:Do you know anyone who knew her?

"Did anyone here know the Keeper?"asked Moira.

"I did."said Uncle Jody.

Moira:Uncle Jody did

Veronica:Can you put him on?

Moira:He can't type. He can't read, either. You know,

Veronica:Oh, right.

"Just look D! Someone actually knew the Keeper!"

Veronica:Another reason to go to Isis!

Moira:Isis is a quarantined planet.

Vero:Oh

"It's quarantined, D. You don't suppose…?"

Moira:But Uncle Jody is the president, maybe you could still come.

Vero:Great!

"Uncle Jody, do you suppose she could come? See, she'd like to meet you, and she could help us find a way to fix the Shelter Cave. She's really smart, and she won't say anything to anyone, I'm sure."

Uncle Jody didn't seem to excited about it, but David convinced him.

"All right."

Moira:He says it's all right.

Vero:That's great!

"D! We'd better hurry! We have to visit Isis!"

Vero:About how long is a year on Isis? When do these storms occur?

Moira:It's longer than an Earth year, and they're in the spring, we're in summer right now.

Vero:Okay. I have to get finished with these planets here, register them, explore them, etc. And I'll be on my way.

"We'd better hurry, D!"she said.

"Right, Veronica."said DaCoP 1228.


	5. Chapter 5

"It's about some hundred or so degrees Farenheit in the day time."she said. "The oxygen is okay, though. And, of course the ultraviolet being kind of high, you get increased chances of skin cancer. That's always a risk, not that it doesn't always follow. Would be better, if you could colonize it with people originally from places near the equator."said Veronica, as she typed the information onto the computer.

"The soil and plants seem to have quite a high quantity of Uranium."DaCoP 1228 said as he came back into the lab.

"So, it would be probably a good planet to be, if you're afraid of the dark. Good for nuclear power and all that. You'll never run out of fuel for it, right? Would you suppose there would be anything edible on this planet, D?"she asked. "If the Uranium comes in such high quantities. Not that it's rare on Earth, but, still, it's much higher. A lot of cancer and kidney problems."she said.

"Apart from those risks, there seems to be nothing else."

"Small risks."she said, sarcastically. "So, let's label it, Class C planet. C…2. How's that? And I shall call it…Chloris."she giggled. "Or does Emerald sound nicer to you? Speaking of which, hopefully, they find tons of them here."

Fernanda read and tried to imagine what Isis was like, from Moira's description. It sounded as if it were the best planet in the entire universe. Isis, Isis. She knew she'd heard that spoken somewhere before, but where. She looked at the fire. It was almost always cold here, on Denebon, but then, she enjoyed the cold. That was mostly why it was advisable to live up on the lyors. Closer to the small sun. Fire. A firestone, she remembered! Isis was where they mined the firestones! Of course. She's always wanted to see one. She wrote to Moira asking her if she could send her a firestone through her matter transmitter. Then she wrote to Veronica, asking if she would take any firestones with her.

Veronica received the message, and was surprised that Fernanda had come across the information.

"Hey, look, D."she said. "Firestones! Fer says that there are firestones on Isis. Have you ever seen one?"

DaCoP, scanned the information that had been put into it, when it was manufactured.

"Found by the original landing crew, and traded for good from passing cargo ships."he said.

"Very good. They'd look so beautiful on my pretty kitty's collars. They'd make such nice bells."she said, smiling. "Here's a picture. We can return here, as soon as I get a glimpse of those jewels. Off into hyperspace we go!"she said.

Moira received Fernanda's message.

"Look, Fernanda knows about the firestones."she said.

Uncle Jody, who was studying a book, practicing reading, walked over to her.

"What? But how could anyone know about the firestones on Isis."

Moira bit her lip.

"Must have gotten in from a book, or something. Or maybe across the Internet. Fernanda spends a lot of time on the Internet, and especially reading up on strange planets and all that. I mean, she's always wanted to be a galactic wonderer. She wants me to send her one across the matter transmitter."

"Of course not!"exclaimed Uncle Jody. "Under no circumstances should a firestone leave Isis. It shall only bring lies and greed."

"Well, she'll understand."

Suddenly, there was a commotion outside.

"What's happening?"asked Uncle Jody.

Everyone walked out of the house, and went to see it. A giant space vessel was hovering over the plain, looking for a place to land. It landed neatly on the western side of the lake, taking up about half of the plain, just about the whole western side of the valley.

"Who could that be?"

"We're here, D!"exclaimed Veronica. "This place certainly doesn't look like much, but oh, well. Do you suppose I could recognize Moira?"she asked.

"I highly doubt it, taking the fact that you have never met personally before."said DaCoP 1228.

"Time to get out and about! And stretch our legs a bit."said Veronica to her pets. "Let's go! Everyone out to the main exit of the ship."

Everyone on Isis watched, as the strange giant bird, opened its beak, and out came a woman, followed by a number of strange creatures, and the Guardian of Isis. People gasped. Veronica looked around at the crowd, and crossed the bridge to the eastern shore of the lake, where all the people were waiting.

"Who are you?"asked Uncle Jody. "Why did you come?"

Veronica looked at him.

"Why, hello. I'm here to see Moira. Moira Flynn."said the lady.

"I'm Moira Flynn."said Moira.

"Moira! Wow. I imagined you a little different."said Veronica. "I'm Vero. I'm here to help you with that problem. Perhaps even do a little exploring on this planet. And of course, to see those marvelous firestones. Fernanda asked me to send her one if I ever got it."

"But I thought you wouldn't be here until maybe winter?"said Moira.

"Oh, yeah, that's what I thought, too, but I changed my mind. This is DaCoP 1228."she said, noticing that everyone was staring at the robot. "He won't hurt anyone, I assure you. And these are my pets."

She introduced them all, and said which planets they came from.

"How do you remember all their names?"asked Moira.

"Well, you know, practice."she said, smiling. "Um, why are these people staring at D?"she asked.

"Oh, well, we'll explain later."

"Doesn't look like much, this place."said Veronica. "It's so…small. Isis is mostly mountains."

"Yeah, it is."

"Hmm, well, perhaps you could fill me in."

"Sure, let me just introduce you. This is Uncle Jody, David…"she introduced everyone in the valley.

"You know everyone in this valley? These are all the people on Isis? A planet colonized about…four generations ago?"

"We'll tell you all about it."said Moira, happily.


	6. Chapter 6

In the N'Kumo house, Jody, David and Moira explained to Veronica much about the history of Isis.

"And this Mark London, where is he? He sounds like nothing more than a tyrant. No one stood up to him!"she said.

"He's buried in the cemetery, I suppose."said Moira.

Veronica raised her eyebrows.

"A tyrant! You mean you people actually buried that man with the other people here? The people he destroyed? The people he humiliated? The one who distorted the truth? The one who made them forget their history, who they were, where they came from? The one who spoke ill of the Keeper and her servant?"

"Well, he died."said David.

"Ha! I would have hung the body on the village square for everyone to throw stones at it! It would only have been a pity that they didn't have the courage to do it while he was still alive! He was one man! This is a village of people! I mean, back on Earth, I sort of understand a little bit. You know, they had the police force, and all that. But this London had nothing. And you just let him manipulate you all?"

"Well, what else could everyone have done?'asked David.

"We must not resort to violence. Let violence come to Isis, and it will never leave."said Uncle Jody.

Moira remained silent.

"I simply think you have no dignity."said Veronica. "Now, I'd like to see this Mark London's tomb. I suppose you know where he is buried."she said.

"What for?"asked Moira.

"Perhaps to take the stupid body out and do what it deserves to it."she answered. "Oh, well. I'm not really here for that. What I really want is to do a little exploring."she said, excitedly. "D! I simply love those mountains, and I want to visit the place where the Keeper is buried. Plus, those sink holes sound just fascinating. I wonder if there are more in other valleys. Or perhaps the mountains! I want to get started tomorrow! Perhaps we may find something interesting in our searches to help fix the door to the cave."

"The cave!"exclaimed Moira. "I almost forgot! We should go and check it out."

"Right that we should."said Veronica. "We should perhaps start exploring this valley, but I don't want to. A new planet isn't the same as when it's brand new. Once people get on it, exploring isn't the same anymore. It's getting dark, and we should go back to the ship. Want me to give you a tour, Moira? It's a great ship. Always the kind of house I wanted to own."

Moira giggled.

"Of course! Why don't you come, Uncle Jody? You'd probably love it."

They went outside, crossed the lake, and went into the ship. Inside, it was gigantic. Probably bigger than what it seemed outside.

"I don't know why I have so many rooms, you know. It's only me and my pets. D requires no sleep, of course."

She had a lot of magic, aboard, too.

"It's not magic."she said to David and Jody. "It's just…stuff. You know, everyone uses it. At least, on Tech planets. Want to stay and eat supper with me?"

"Uncle Jody is the president, and must eat in the dining hall."said David.

"Dining hall? Is this a school, or some kind of an institution? People dine in their own houses. With their own families, or perhaps by themselves. Never in a dining hall. Only at school, or in prison, or something."said Veronica.

"It's bad manners to eat in your own house."said David.

"Bad manners?"

Veronica looked at them with an expression of disbelief on her face.

"Moira, exactly what kind of a place is this? I know it is a primitive planet, but even the most primitive planets I have visited, the people have a bit of common sense. Well, what kind of currency do you use here?"she asked.

"Currency?"

"Money. You know, this is worth so much?"

"We don't use currency here."said Moira.

"How do you pay, say, the baker?"

"The women do the baking and such."

"In other words, the women here are nothing more than slaves? Okay, everyone dines together, there's no currency, and I take it, there isn't even…um, should we say, social classes?"

"No."said Moira.

"This is beginning to scare me."

"Why?"

"I think it sounds like communism. I've read plenty of novels with that in them, not to mention the history! A monarchy scares me less than communism itself. In theory, it's great, but well, in reality?"

"There's no communists here."said Moira.

"Oh, I think there is."answered Veronica.

"What are you talking about?"demanded Uncle Jody.

"Tell me a little bit about your religion."she said to Uncle Jody.

"Religion?"

"You have no religion."said Veronica quietly. "Oh, my Lord! D, I'm scared!"

"There is nothing that can hurt you here, Veronica. Against the low oxygen and ultraviolet you have your watch, and should these people ever be foolish enough to try to hurt you, you have your laser, and the radio, in case you ever need help."

"Yes, of course, but I am not afraid for me, D, I am afraid for them!"

"Yes, they seem to be quite disoriented."agreed the robot.

"We're trying to change all that."Moira assured her.

"Well,"said Vero. "If you don't want to dine with me, that's fine. I still don't understand, though. I've never come across such a people in all my years of space travel! But, oh, well."

"I'll stay."said Moira. "That way we could talk."


	7. Chapter 7

"There's something I would like to know."Veronica said to Moira as they ate. "Exactly how would these people think of a woman's cycle?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you were a galactic wanderer, you've sent the things people make up."

"Oh, well, it's a sign that woman are lower than men here."

"And this would be the work of the tyrant London?"Veronica asked.

"I guess so."

Moira had stayed to dine with Veronica, while Uncle Jody and David went to the dining hall.

"And you go along with all of this?"

"We're trying to change it."

"I'm going to go over the mountains. I think I'm not going to like this valley much. You want to come? I want to see what lays beyond the mountains. I saw more mountains from space, but I want to see up close for myself."

"The Keeper is buried in a valley that's north of here."said Moira.

"I shall go north, then."smiled Veronica.

The next morning, Veronica watched from the window as the village came to life. She saw how the women went to the wash block, and began to prepare breakfast. People began to go to the dining hall.

"It seems so…like, I guess you could say…a boarding school, D."she said.

"Yet here, no learning is ever achieved."

"True."

"We'll leave the ship here, D. We'll simply take one of the flyer so we have a place to stay in. I don't want to stay. It makes me angry, sad. I don't want to stay here."

"We shall leave at once. I shall go and prepare one of the flyers, so that you will be comfortable. It is not good for you to feel depressed."

He went away and began to prepare for the journey north, while Veronica stared at the valley.

"It also said that the Keeper lived on the great mesa that dominates the valley. I want to see it. It seems she was the only one among these people with any common sense."

Veronica invited Moira to climb the mesa with her.

"I don't know if I'm much of a mountain climber."said Moira.

"Oh, neither am I, but if we don't make it, we'll take the flyer. And we don't even have to make it to the top. Just halfway."

"The mountains are taboo."said one of the children.

"Are you coming with me or not, Moira?"asked Veronica, ignoring the child.

"I'd love to! David, Uncle Jody, Veronica wants me to go with her and see the Keeper's house, in the days before the colony. Do you want to wait for me here?"

"But we can't survive up there."said Uncle Jody.

"You can with a force field."said Veronica.

"Oh."Moira just remembered. "I don't have mine anymore."she said.

"That's all right. I have more force field watches than anyone in the galaxy!"said Veronica. "I'll show them to you. All you have to do is choose the one you like."

"Sounds great!"said Moira.

Veronica had DaCoP 1228 show Moira, Joday, and David all the watches. Even though, Jody and David hadn't the slightest idea what they were for, they each chose one, and DaCoP 1228 helped them put them on. They climbed from the valley floor to the mid point of the cliff.

"Here it is!"exclaimed Veronica.


	8. Chapter 8

"It looks like a grave."said Veronica, when they got to the top, and saw two monuments.

One, of course, was the Light. The other, they didn't know.

"Someone must be buried in there."said Moira. "But whom?"

"I don't know. Oh, well, that was a nice climb. What a view!"she exclaimed, and looked over the edge of the mesa. "That's the whole valley."she said, and turned the other way to see to the north. "More mountains."

"There's only mountains until you get to Bamboo Valley."said Uncle Jody.

Veronica smiled at him.

"At least it's much better than what I heard this morning. That beyond the Valley lies nothing but Nothing."

"Most of our people think that. Especially the Fourths."

"I wouldn't be surpised."

"But we're trying to change all that."said Moira. "We'll make Isis a better place. Much better."

"I hope so. Anyway, I want to see how the Cave works exactly, and what we need in order to fix it."she said.

Later, as she examined the Shelter Cave, she said that the only thing missing was just some oil, to help the doors close.

"I'm sure we can find oil, or something similar here on Isis. We'll start the search tomorrow."

As soon as Veronica crossed the mountains the north of Cascade Valley, and came upon unknown territory, she began to explore.

"There's not much here."she said to Moira and David.

There was nothing but red rock, the river, and thornbushes.

"These thornbushes are of no use."she said, taking a leaf of one. "Silver."she commented. "And such a spicy fagrance. Perfect for some kind of perfume, I guess. I suppose chlorophyll would be of much use in this environment, you know. It could help increase the oxygen. That's how it happened back on Earth. During prehistoric times, small plants evolved into gigantic trees. And with nothing to devour them, they thrived, and increased the oxygen content. That in turn was how the giant insects developed. However, there's little carbon dioxide in this atmosphere, too. You'd have to have more people for that."

She spotted a giant beast that resembled a hairy dragon, as she looked through her binoculars.

"Hmm. A scaly skin. I suppose to help trap moisture between the scales, and protect it from the sun's rays, and the heat of this climate. I suppose predominately reptiles inhabit this place?"she asked.

David hadn't the slightest idea what she was talking about, but Moira answered, "Well, there's plenty of mammals down in the valley. Rock bunnies and purple furs and such. And birds, too. I haven't seen many reptiles in the valley, though. And I don't know about the uplands."

"You should know more about the uplands. This planet is mostly mountains. Surely when it was settled, that was known?"

"I suppose so."Moira shrugged.

"I really can't believe these people were so…naïve, as to keep to one small valley. Really, it's the stupidest thing. So many colors of plants."she observed.

"None green, though."said Moira.

"Nope, none green."

"Plants shouldn't be green."said David.

"Oh, but there are planets on which there are."Moira told him.

Veronica chose to ignore him.

"We could follow the river towards its source, or we could go somewhere else, and hope to get water from another source."she said.

"I prefer to stay with the river."said Moira nervousely.

"We might find interesting life in there."Vero smiled.

She looked at the blue moss.

"This must contain chlorophyll to some degree. I mean, it is blue. That's a good sign. We might not have to bring something alien to this planet to make it more suitable after all."

Veronica took notes on just about everything. The creatures, the plants, and even the water, took samples, and she made comments to herself, and to David and Moira as she went by.

"The water here is pretty clean. I wonder how long that will last…hmm, the purple in this rock seems more toward the red-violet. That's sad. I always liked darker purples better…it's the mountains. Each layer would tell a specific story about a time period. That's one of the wonders of the Grand Canyon on Earth. I was there, as a very, very small child once, you know. I don't remember much of it, but it was an…implausible sight. Almost like a painting. Isis could probably be a much better tourist planet than anything else. Imagine. It would be great for the economy. Firestones, and these views! Wow!"


	9. Chapter 9

It didn't take them too long to get to Bamboo Valley.

"Here is where Guardian told me the Keeper was buried."said Moira.

"The Keeper."

Veronica got to her knees, and crossed herself.

"Where you go, I may not follow."she read the inscription on the rock.

Moss was starting to grow, and she removed it.

"This is simply…wrong. The Keeper's grave like this. While that…Mark London's, so well kept, so…I better not think about that."

"He said this was her favorite place."

"Yes, it is quite beautiful, isn't it?"

They stayed at that site for a while, as Veronica sat, looking at the grave where the Keeper's body was buried, thinking what she must have felt. What her life must have been like. _Probably a bit like mine,_ she thought. _Though perhaps she didn't explore new planets, or anything like that. Just here, on Isis, on one planet, one valley, and no people._

Then, they went to explore the valley, to find that in the eastern mountains, there was a cave, much like the one that was carved into the mesa in Cascade Valley. Here, the furniture wasn't as decayed as it was there. They went into what seemed to have been the Keeper's room. Veronica picked up a book.

"Look! A diary!"she exclaimed. "Not one, wow. Quite a few. I suppose she must have kept diaries all her life. We'll have to start with the first one."

She went through them, and found the one that seemed the earliest, judging from the date, and opened it.

"You're going to read them?"asked Moira.

"Of course. After all, the Keeper is dead. It's some way to communicate with her, I guess it could be called."

"I wonder why Gaurdian left them here."

Vero shrugged.

"She certainly doesn't strike me as the…intellectual type. She seemed to be more of a...an inhabitant, not an explorer of the planet."she said. "It's odd that she never mentions her parents."

"Well, Uncle Jody said that she told him they died when she was very little."

"Yes, I know, but still…it looks like a diary was something she got for each birthday, with other things from this Guardian."

"He's a DaCoP, like yours."

"Yes, however, I suppose D is much more updated."

"I guess so."

"Look here! Here it says…I turned ten today, Guardian says that on Earth that is the same as sixteen. He has given me a beautiful golden dress and shoes. I felt so grown up. My birthday music was a little weird. It felt like the room was full with people. Guardain says that there are settlers headed for Isis, and I don't want them here! I don't, I don't, I don't! If only things would go on being perfect, just like they are right now! But everything is spoiled now! I don't want them to come to Isis! Isis is my planet, and they're going to ruin it! But Guardian says that is not important anymore, that they are coming, whether I want them to or not, and it's not fair!"she looked up, closing the book, and taking one of her bookmarkers, and placing it between the pages. "Interesting."

"I suppose you'd feel the same, wouldn't you?"asked Moira.

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Well, was she mean to the settlers?"Moira asked David.

"I don't know."said David. "You would have to ask Uncle Jody."

"Perhaps we should. But first, I want to finish reading this."


	10. Chapter 10

"They arrive tomorrow. Around nine hours, Guardian says. I wonder what they'll be like. Perhaps they won't like Isis, and they'll go back to Earth. Apparently, that's not what happened."said Veronica, as she kept reading from the pages of the diary. "Guardian is so fussy. On the tapes I was sending to the Captain of the Pegasus, it kept on emphasizing about the low oxygen content of the atmosphere, and the high ultraviolet radiation. He wants the settlers to stay in the valley, and use a UVO suit and oxygen mask to climb the mountains. I feel sorry for them. To have to wear a stupid suit, and carry oxygen to climb the mountains. Oh, well, maybe they'll get used to Isis later on."

"What's a UVO suit?"asked Moira.

"Oh, that's a special suit. It was used before force fields to protect from UV rays. It was pretty thick. It was designed to help keep as much moisture in or something. You know, so the rays wouldn't harm you, and to protect from dehydration."Veronica explained.

"Oh."

"But she must have had to wear one, at least once in her life. It must seem normal to her. I mean, back then there were no force fields, and if she lived on the heights…"

"It must have been some kind of magic."said David. "If she lived with the Guardian…"

"Oh, phuey!"Veronica cut him off. "Stupidity is what that is, David. Anyway…next page…I got to see them. The spaceship landed in the middle of the grassland, and I saw it from the mesa top. I only saw the captain. Guardian wouldn't let me near them. He said I would be exposed to germs, and that I should wear a protective suit. I hope he makes it soon. I want to meet he captain. Captain Jonas Tryon. It sounds like a very magnificent name. His face is the color of the rock on Isis, and he looks a little like the side of the mesa itself. I wonder what we'll talk about. What if they don't like me? Guardian says I don't have anything to worry about, that they are all my friends.

Guardian has my suit ready. It has a new face and everything. And we went down to the settlement. None of the settlers wants to see upper Isis. They say they are fine in the valley, but I've found a friend. Mark London. He wants me to take him to the mesa top, and show him my Isis. He's not like the other…Wait a minute, Mark London? Isn't that that psychotic freak?"asked Veronica. "That tyrant?"

"President London? Breaking the taboos?"exclaimed David.

"Don't tell me the Keeper knew that…retard?"

"I suppose so."said Moira.

"Oh, my1"

"But President London would never have broken the taboos!"said David.

"David, the mountains are not taboo…"Veronica gave up, and kept reading. "I took Mark to the terrace. He couldn't climb all the way to the top. We will go to the top another day. I wish Gaurdian would let me see him without the stupid mask and suit. I want him to see me. But Guardian said that Mark has bacteria, so I couldn't take it off.

Today, we did make it to the top. Mark wanted me to meet Doctor MacDonald. He doesn't think that Guardian is right, and that the settlers have no germs that could hurt me. He's going to make cultures of my blood, and prove to Guardian that I don't have to wear that mask and suit.

Something dreadful happened today. Guardian still won't let me meet the settler without the mask and suit. I told him that Doctor MacDonald disagreed with him, and he went to try and stop him from making the cultures. I went to the mesa top, and Mark followed me. I didn't know he was there. When I turned around, he took a step backwards, and fell down the mesa. He only went halfway, and Guardian took him back to the village. He wouldn't let me come. But he says that Mark will be all right."

"One of the stories the elders used to tell was that the Guardian rescued Mark London."said David.

"This must be when."

"They said that he tried to climb the mesa, but that he fell, and instead of falling to his death, the Guardian saved him."

"…Those horrible settlers killed Hobbit. It was all my fault. I'd been neglecting him, thinking about Mark. He went into the grassland to look for me. The settlers came and shot him. I hate them. They're spoiling Isis. They should go back to Earth where they all belong! Guardian told me that I am different from the settlers. He said that was the reason he didn't want me to have a mirror before. That was why the people were afraid of me. Why Guardian wanted me to wear that stupid suit and mask, and why Mark fell from the mesa when he saw me. He was disgusted by me. They were all disgusted by me. He said he changed me because he wanted me to be free. Free on Isis. The captain and the doctor are angry at him because they think it was wrong…

"Change? I don't understand."said Moira.

"Neither do I, really. But let's see, it must have been something about her appearance, if they were afraid of her. Though, I guess it must make some sense, if she never wore a suit and lived on the heights."

"How can you change a person?"asked David.

"I'm not sure what kind of changes she is talking about, but let's see…I'm just not sure."said Vero. "Maybe…some kind of genetic manipulation?"she suggested.

"No!"exclaimed Moira.

"It seems like the only logical explanation. You say the Keeper is buried beside the pool?"

"Yes."

"There's only one way to get to the bottom of this."Veronica crossed herself. "Oh, Lord! Please forgive me for what I'm about to do!"


	11. Chapter 11

"What are we going to do?"asked Moira.

"Get to the bottom of this."

Veronica grabbed a shovel, and went to the area where the water collected among the giant bamboo.

"What are you doing!"asked Moira, clearly scandalized, as Veronica began digging the place where supposedly, the Keeper had been buried.

She watched in horror, as Veronica came across the body.

"I suppose there should only be bone left."she said. "It doesn't look like any kind of human bone I've ever seen. It's much…sturdier. And…different."she took a small instrument and pointed it at the ground.

After a while, an image showed up on the small monitor.

"It's got an extended ribcage. And the phalanges are more like…a cat's. Well, it's certainly like no skeletal anatomy of any of those in my menagerie."

She scraped off a piece of the bone, and took it back to the flyer. After a while, a picture came up.

"What a disgusting creature!"exclaimed Moira.

"I knew there was something fishy about this."

"Fishy! Don't you mean reptilian?"Moira asked.

"Well, I guess, yes, reptilian, Moira. You see, that's how the Keeper survived on Isis during all those long years, without even knowing what a UVO suit was, and probably going to the top of the mesa, even, without anything on her back."

"But…but…that's impossible. I mean, wouldn't Isis have had to have been terraformed first? And that would have taken generations, probably."

"Exactly. I don't think Isis was terraformed, rather that the Keeper was…Isisformed."

"I thought you said the Keeper was a person."said David.

"She was. Or at least, at one point of her life she must have been."

"But…she couldn't have adapted so fast, could she?"

"No, I don't think it was adaptation. That would have taken generations. I think this Guardian of hers messed with genetics."

"But Guardian wouldn't have done that. We met Guardian, didn't we, David?"

"Yes, we did."

"But let me see. The skin…thick and scaly, that would be to protect her from the UV, of course. In between the scales, moisture gathers, and she is able to survive in the extreme heat, and, of course, you have the fact that she was…a mammal, I guess in a certain way, I must say, mammals are warm-blooded. Back in prehistoric times, on Earth, that was how the first land animals would survive. First, of course the amphibians, but they couldn't stay away from the water too long. They lost moisture too quickly. Then their skin became scaly, and they were able to retain more, and therefore, move away from the water."

"How would that protect against the rays?"

"The thickness. Wow, just look at that. Must be twice as thick as rhinoceros hide! And that's something. All these dead cells on top of one another, must have stopped the rays from entering and damaging the live cells under them."

"Well, that's the UV, but the atmosphere in the mountains, well, there isn't enough oxygen."

"Just because there is a lack of oxygen, doesn't mean that there is none. You see, that's why we have such small insects today. At least on Earth. See, when there was a lack of oxygen in the atmosphere, they had to decrease in size, because they weren't as…efficient as the reptiles at storing it. Insect breathe through their skin. See, how the vascular system has been changed. The lungs are much stronger, and the heart more efficient at pumping blood. The vessels, too. They are much more extended. Therefore, more oxygen can be stored at each breath. And the nose, I guess, must also have something to do with it. Wider nostrils allow more air in."

"What a deformed face."

"Reformed, Moira. Reformed, you mean. Let me see. The eyes, of course, would also have needed protection from the rays. A third eyelid, just like a cat's. A nictating membrane, some people will call it. Only transparent, unlike a feline's. The bones of the forehead, also stop as much light as possible from entering the eye, without causing no light to enter it, if you know what I mean. The eyes, are of course, the most vulnerable part, though some people fail to notice it. That's why when taking an X ray, you should also close your eyes, though some people won't. See, they don't cover their eyes, as the only thing that can stop the rays from hitting them would be lead, and well, just imagine lead shades, but you should still cover your eyes."

"What does this all have to do with the fact that her skin is green?"

"The change of metabolism. Sometimes, when there's something wrong with your liver, your skin changes color. Same here. There was nothing wrong, of course, but, well, it made the plants more edible, and as for insects, they're venom doesn't affect her."

"Wow. But why?"

"We'd have to read a little more for that."


	12. Chapter 12

"So, Guardian changed her, because he thought she would be happier that way."concluded Veronica. "However, apparently, the arrival of the settlers seemed to have had a negative effect, but…she overcame it. Admirable."

"I guess so."

"I still don't see why she would have chosen to live in isolation."

"It might have seemed the best way."

"I suppose. Well, we'd better get on."

The spend the night in the house where long ago, the Keeper and the Guardian had lived, alone. Veronica looked out the sky, at the stars. Down in the valley, she especially looked at the western horizon.

"Isn't it getting cold?"asked Moira, coming down with a blanket.

"Well, what can you expect from a planet in a wider orbit? Much more drastic weather changes. More drastic, and longer seasons."she said.

Moira nodded. David joined them.

"You see that? Down there, on the western horizon, so tiny and small?"Vero pointed out. "Sol. It's the Sun. Earth."

David nodded.

"Every year…"he began, but Vero cut him off.

"The star over there, in that constellation,"she said. "That one was the first star I traveled to. The first I discovered. I named it Munir."

"How could a star have a name?"asked David.

"Whenever a person discovers a new star, they name it."Moira explained. "Ra, for example. The person who discovered Ra, gave it that name."

"But Ra is not a star."

"Of course it is. All suns are stars."

"It means bright."Vero kept saying. "It's such a bright star. It burns a little warmer than Ra. Only two habitable planets around it. Gas giants. The rest of the habitable worlds are satellites. Gas giants always have thousands of satellites. You notice them more, the hotter they burn. And of course, distance also has a lot to do with it. Another, Junayd. That one's a red dwarf, so the name means small. Mostly, I like to choose Arabic names. Most of the stars have Greek or Roman names. Ra is Egyptian, so is Isis. I like Arabic better. For the planets and satellites, too. My pets, too, of course."

On Denebon 5, Fernanda looked out her window. As the red light of Dynpa was fading, the stars would soon be out. Dynpa was a giant, red sun. In actuality, it was no more than a mere red dwarf. So close was Denebon 5 to its sun, that it almost took up about half the sky, and gave just about everything on the planet a reddish, pinkish glare. As she looked at the sky, she wondered just how she would tell Earth in that crowded sky. Or Isis.

"I believe on the other side of this mountain range is the sea."said Vero.

"What's the sea?"asked David.

Veronica simply rolled her eyes, and kept staring up at the sky. Tears began to flow from her eyes, as she fixed them on the western horizon.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Earth, humanity's home. We're all Earthpeople. I went to do my studies there, and get qualified. It was the only planet I ever got attached to."

She wiped her tears.

"Why didn't you stay?"

Vero shrugged.

"I can't be around people, besides, I doubt I could ever stay still too long. I was a little too curious. I feel…safe in my ship. With nothing around me. Just empty space. Emptiness, nonexistent, you know. I don't know, the ship gives me comfort."

Moira really could see what she meant. She had spent most of her life in a spaceship, with her father, Mike.

"I always wanted a place to call home."she said.

Vero smiled.

"My ship is home. No one tells me what to do, I do as I please, I go where I please."

"Don't you ever want to see other people?"

"I have my computer. We can chat, talk, or communicate over the Internet, over the phone, I have my television. I have my pets. I have D. What else do I need?"


	13. Chapter 13

They crossed the mountain range, and, just as Veronica had predicted, there was the sea.

"It's so much water!"Exclaimed David. "I didn't know there was so much water on Isis."

"The oceans are probably always the last frontier to explore on a planet. And a little bit to the north, a desert."Vero told him.

She tested the water. It didn't have as much salt as the sea water on Earth.

"Extracting some of the minerals here, and using them and oil from the thornbushes, that should be good to keep the Cave working again."she said.

"Almost all of these rocks are volcanic."she commented, looking at the red and purple sand on the beach. "It's a nice beach, I grant you. Very nice."

On their way back to Cascade Valley, DaCoP 1228 reported that there was a storm coming.

"We have to get back to Cascade Valley fast!"she said.

When they got there, realizing that the Cave was not functioning, Veronica suggested they shelter in her ship. The people of Isis were afraid, since they had seen it come out of the sky, but realizing they had no choice decided to go in.

"No!"exclaimed Veronica, looking at Roger London and his family. "I don't want any of you on my ship. I don't want anyone related to Mark London! Get out."she said, and stood in front of them, blocking their entrance.

"It is not our custom."said Uncle Jody.

"I don't care about your customs. I will never help any of that tyrant's descendants. If none of you ever had the courage to stand up to him, even in death, I do. And I do not want any of you here!"

"If the Londons will not enter! Neither will anyone else!"

"Then that's fine by me. I'm not forcing anyone."

"Vero! We can't leave them outside!"exclaimed Moira.

"I will, Moira. Who says I can't. This is my ship. I can decide who can go in or out."

"But…but they're not responsible for what their ancestors have done!"

"Neither was the Keeper."

"I don't think she would have liked you to do this."

"Moira is right."said Uncle Jody. "I knew the Keeper. I knew the Lady Olwen. She would not have wanted to leave anyone out on a storm."

"The storm's getting worse."said DaCoP 1228. "Are they coming in, or not? We must close the doors."

Veronica looked at them, and said the only way she would allow them to enter would be if they took Mark London's remains, and she be allowed to throw them in hyperspace, where no one would ever find them.

Years later

Lily looked around her back yard. Here, in the Rift Mountain Range, she could look out over several different valleys, none of course, as deep as Cascade Valley, but deep enough to be considered valley. Cascade Valley. That was where the first settlement landed on Isis. Of course, she had learned in school about the history of the planet. How it had to have been terraformed, because of its unfriendly environment.


End file.
